The Harrisburg show of 2001 will be remembered for a long time. Not for the RV's on display, not for the educational sessions offered, and not for anything even closely related to the RV industry.

This year's Harrisburg show will forever be entwined with the horrific terrorists attacks that hit just 175 miles away in New York City, 129 miles away in Washington, DC, and 132 miles away in Shanksville, PA.

Attendance was very light during my one-day (Monday) quick-trip to this year's show, and I'm sure there was very little business conducted on Tuesday, at the height of the attacks that came as the gates were opening for the second of two trade days at this popular Northeast RV show sponsored by the Pennsylvania Recreation Vehicle and Camping Association.

As we witnessed in Louisville last November, many of the companies exhibiting at this show were just not prepared for visitors when the doors opened at 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning.

Perhaps they were not optimistic or expecting a flood of RV dealers to come charging through the door, and they didn't.

Perhaps they didn't think it was necessary to be ready for any visitors who showed up at the opening bell, and they were not.

Many manufacturers commented on the continuing challenge to draw dealers to this show, which is an outstanding display of RV products and certainly the best RV show in the Northeast.

Many dealers have recently attended their own manufacturer dealer meetings and others seem willing to wait for Louisville to see the new models and make their deals. Somehow, all interested parties really need to sit down and discuss the low attendance and find out if there is anything they can do to reverse the trends.

Some highlights from the show:

JAYCO

The new Avatar diesel and Firenza gas model Class-A motorhomes made their debut. Also featured in the Jayco booth was the new Jay Flight series of no-frills entry-level travel trailers and fifth wheels. Sid Johnson stated, "We are aggressively targeting the entry level market with a product that still reflects Jayco's commitment to superior construction and value."

TRAIL-LITE

Although separated in two different exhibit areas, Trail-Lite displayed their super lightweight travel trailers, fifth wheels and motorhomes.

NATIONAL RV

When we first reported on the Workhorse W22 gas chassis last year we knew it would be a winner. Looking to take first place in the design sweepstakes appears to be National RV with a completely redesigned Dolphin motorhome. This is the first new design since the model was released in 1992. The 5,000 happy Dolphin owners may be on their way to dealer showrooms now to trade in for the new Dolphin. Built with 22" wheels, diesel-like cargo doors, and the flat engine bulkhead ... this unit could easily be mistaken for a diesel pusher. The gas Class-A market has a serious challenger in the new Dolphin.

Also on display was the high-end Islander diesel-pusher.

CROSSROADS RV 

Two new units on display were the Paradise Point fifth wheel and the Paradise Cove travel trailer.

The Paradise Cove features all aluminum construction, fully enclosed underbelly, heated tanks, excellent fit and function and a flush floor slide-out system. The 34' unit will have a suggested list price of around $30K.

The Paradise Point is also all aluminum construction, has oak cabinets, a computer desk with telephone jack, fully enclosed underbelly and heated tanks. The 33' fifth wheel will have a list price around $42-$43K.

DYNAMAX 

The attention getter in the Dynamax booth was the eye-catching Grand Sport. This head turner is built on a Freightliner FL-70 chassis with easy-access driver and passenger doors. Power is provided by a 300 HP Caterpillar diesel engine with 800 ft. lbs. of torque with an Allison six speed automatic transmission. This is a new breed of motorcoach that will surely draw a lot of attention going down the road.

HOLIDAY RAMBLER 

Triple slides were shown on most models on display. Even the newly redesigned Vacationer gas model showed up with three slides this year. The Scepter diesel pusher drew a lot of attention, as did the top-of-the-line 45' Navigator. Also on display was the Atlantis Class-C motorhome.

FLEETWOOD 

Rebounding from last year's financial challenges, Fleetwood showcased two new diesel pusher motorhomes ... the Revolution and the Excursion.

WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES

Ready to roll were the new entry level Winnebago Sightseer and Itasca Sunova motorhomes. The units were on display between the versatile Rialta and the luxurious Ultimate Advantage.

GEORGIE BOY

New incandescent paint adorned the popular Suite motorhome. The new Cruise Air with a 330 CAT has replaced the Cruise Master diesel and the Cruise Air XL has replaced the Landau diesel motorhomes, both with new graphics.

SKYLINE

The attention getting Model 303 available in the Layton and Nomad product lines is a front kitchen, two-bedroom unit with a side aisle configuration.

TIFFIN MOTOR HOMES

Still on the drawing board when we visited Tiffin Motor Homes in Red Bay, AL, a few months ago, the new Phaeton diesel pusher rolled into Harrisburg for its first public showing.

STARCRAFT

The new Star Shuttle folding camping trailer was shown with a front porch to carry a few toys on the next camping trip.

NEWMAR 

Newmar added to the NewAire line with a Classic model. The original NewAire will now be known as the Limited. There will be about a $30K difference in list price between the two units.

The luxury Mountain Aire featured an all-new paint scheme and dual sinks in the plush bath area.